safety catch

American  

noun

1. a device used in mechanisms, as for elevators, to prevent falling in the event of mechanical failure.

2. safety.

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safety catch British  

noun

1. a device to prevent the accidental operation of a mechanism, e.g. in a firearm or lift

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Etymology

Origin of safety catch

First recorded in 1875–80

Example Sentences

This included the guard "handover drill" and checking the safety catch of the machine gun, the lawyer said.

From BBC • May 18, 2022

He waggles a small metal tie that acts as a second safety catch.

From The Guardian • Sep. 10, 2016

Instead of plummeting down, he fell only a few inches and then stopped, showing everybody how the safety catch he had installed worked.

From Scientific American • Feb. 21, 2014

He also agreed that in releasing the safety catch on his shotgun before being ready to fire he broke the "golden rule".

From BBC • Mar. 25, 2010

So Butler hunkered down, propped Juliet against a tapestry behind a suit of armor, and checked his safety catch.

From "Artemis Fowl" by Eoin Colfer